Commutator



C. C. ZENK.

COMMUTATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. I913.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

C. C, Zea 6 M ITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLESC. ZENK, 0F WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DIEHL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW- JERSEY.

GOMMUTATOR.

- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 23, 1920.

Application filed February 24, 1913. Serial No. 750,377.

To all whom it may concern. 1

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ZENK, a citizen 'of the United States of .America, residing at WVestfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Com mutators, of which the ollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the Other objects will appear from the dis closure hereinafter contained.

In accordance with this invention, means, in addition to the molded material, are provided to cooperate therewith to hold the bars inf place and strengthen the commutater. I I i The views in the drawings are as follows:

Figure 1 is an end view, partly in section, of one form of commutator;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Figs. 3 and4, are, respectively, end and sectional views of a modified form of commutator;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a bar such as may be used in the construction of the commutators shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig.6 is a perspective of a bar such as ilrpiay be used in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will first be described.

A metallic sleeve 3 forms a support for a body of insulating material 4 which insulates and holds in position circumferentially arranged conducting bars 5i These bars are of wedgeshaped cross-section and have their active or commutatin'g faces'at substantially .right angles to the axis of rotation of the commutator. Such commutators are ordinarily designated radial commutators. The outer surface of the"sleeve, in order to provide a better grip for the body 4, may be spirally ribbed, knurled,

grooved or otherwise roughened. The inner ends of the bars have laterally-extending projections 6, which are embedded in the body of insulating material and have thelr upper and lower edges provided with notches 7 and 8. The side of these notches interlock with the body 4 and assist in preventing lateral and vertical displacements of the bars.

The bars are separated and insulated from each other by strips of mica 9.

To receive the terminals of the armature windings, the bars may be provided with one or more longitudinal grooves 10, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1: r 1

To strengthen the commutator and assist in holding the bars in place, a ring 4 is embedded in the body about the extensions 6. This ring aids in resistingthe centrifugal forces produced by rotation and 00* operates with the body and bars to give the commutator increased durability and strength. 1

The material composing the body 4 is one which, although ordinarily plastic,

hardens under the action of heat and pros .sure and will not again soften or become weakened upon subsequent rises in tempera ture. Resinous condensation products possess this property,the most widely known being a phenolic condensation product known commercially as Bakelite.

Figsf3 and 4 show a modified construction wherein a conducting collector ring is ]provided in addition to the commutator ars.

The conducting bars 5 have their notched projections 6 embedded in and held by insulating material as before. The. body of insulating materialand the bars are supported on a metallic sleeve 11. A collector ring 12 is embedded in the front face of the commutator. The sides of the ring are dovetailed, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so

that the body of insulating material can more easily hold the ring in place." In order to provide space for the ring. and the material inwhich it is embedded, part of the front face of the commutator bars and the strips of insulation therebetween are cut away, as shown at 13 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 shows a type of bar suitable for producingtwo radial commutators at the same time. The two similarly notched projections 6 of this type of bar are both embedded bodies ofthe insulating material. The structure'thus formed by these bars/may be cut in-two as indicated in Fig. -5, and two radial commutators are produced.

x What I claim is:

1. A commutator comprising metal commutator bars, a body of heat-hardened resmous condensationproduet holding said bars in place, and means cooperating with said tator. 3. A commutator comprising metal commutator bars having projections embedded in a body of heat-hardened resinous condensation product, and means cooperating with the body and projections to assist in holding the bars in place and strengthen the commutator.

4. A commutator having conducting bars held in place-by a body of heat-hardened resinous condensation product, and a reinforcing ring cooperating with said body to assist in holding the bars in place and strengthen the commutator. 4 i

5. A commutator having conducting bars held in place by a body of bakelite and reinforcing means cooperating with said bars and said body to strengthen the commutator andassist in holding the bars in place.

6. A commutator having circumferentially arranged commutator bars each provided with a ledge extending axially, a lastic material, solidified under heat an pressure, holding said bars in place and overlapping said ledges,'means overlying said ledge radially and embedded in said material to resist centrifugal action upon said bars and material and strengthen the commutator as .a whole.

7. A commutator comprising circumferentially'arr'anged conducting bars having their active faces at substantial right an les to the axis of rotation and held in place y a body of phenol condensation'product, and a reinforcing member cooperating withthe body and bars to assist in holding the bars in place.

8. A commutator for electric motors comprising a skeleton body comprising an ex.- terior ring portion, an interior annulus or hub and radial members connecting said hub and ring portion and commutator segments seated in the openings between said radial portions and flush on their brush contact 'faces with the faces of said radial portions.

portions and fixed in place by engagement of their edge faces with the edge faces ofsaid radial portions, said ring and said annulus.

10. A commutator having circumferen- "tially arranged bars each provided with a ledge extending axially, plastic material, solidified under heat and pressure, holding said bars in place andoverlapping said led e and a ring surrounding said ledges radially and embedded in said material to resist centrifugal action upon said bars and material and strengthen the commutator.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES c. ZENK.

Witnesses: I

HERBERT R. WELCE, CHARLES MCGREGOR. 

